India

A group of Dalits are lined up in front of the public road through their village which caste ‘laws’ prevent them from crossing.Photo: JAKOB CARLSEN

Caste discrimination is a highly politicised and sensitive issue in India. Despite constitutional safeguards and special legislation for the protection of the country’s 201 million ‘scheduled castes’ (the official term for Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist Dalits), violations of their fundamental human rights continue on a massive scale.

The extreme and violent crimes – known as ‘atrocities’ – committed against Dalits, and the widespread impunity for perpetrators, do not fit well with India’s image as the world’s largest democracy.

India responds to international attention to caste discrimination by referring to it as an ‘internal issue’ and a ‘family matter’ that the UN does not need to deal with, especially since constitutional and legal protective mechanisms are in place. However, an increasing number of countries and high ranking UN officials disagree with this attitude, as implementation of national legislation in India remains weak, and conviction rates are shockingly low.

According to the 2011 census, Dalits – officially known as ‘scheduled castes’ – constitute 201 million people. These figures do not include Dalits who have converted or are born and raised within a non-Hindu religious community. It is therefore more than likely that the total Dalit population – including the millions of Dalit Muslims and Christians – by far exceeds the official 201 million.